Ajekar: ‘The Rajesh Shibaje Madhyama Gaurava’ award named after the late Karnataka Press Academy’s Award-winning journalist Rajesh Shibaje was announced for Vartha Bharati’s senior journalist Satya K. Mangaluru, News Channel Head Durgakumar Nayarkere, and cartoonist Badri Purohit Koppala. 

Journalist Forum’s Udupi District President, Dr. Shekar Ajekar said that the Journalists Forum Bangalore announced the award for the aforementioned three achievers for their contributions to the field of media and journalism for the past 3 years. 

Award Winners’ Introduction

Satya K

With her unwavering dedication to journalistic duties, through her humane and special reports in the Vartha Bharati newspaper, Satya K has remarkably attracted the reader’s attention. The B.Com graduate received 18 months of training at the Janavahini Media and served as the Sub Editor for 3 years for the Janavahini newspaper.  After having worked as the Sub Editor for 18 years and District Correspondent, she is currently working as a senior journalist. She has grown as the coast’s leading female journalist and is known in the reader’s circle for primarily focusing on reports reflecting human concern and special accounts. 

Durgakumar Nayarkere

Durgakumar Nayarkere, who has been working as a journalist for the past 25 years at Sullia, has made a name for himself in both print and visual media. Although he is a journalist by profession, he tends to focus on aspects such as research, literature, organization and is active by nature.  Currently, he is working as the head of the Suddi news channel, Suddi News Website, and also the regional reporter for Sulya at the Kannada Prabha Newspaper.

Durgakumar has made new impressions in the press with his creative writing and become a people’s favourite by attracting the audience with his thought-provoking writings and intellectually stimulating speech. 

He has written more than 2000 articles ranging from topics touching rural development, current issues, humanitarian instances, and other subjects. He has directed more than 10 documentaries and shown hundreds of special stories revealing the realities of the rural regions to the world. He has achieved new heights in journalism by showcasing the development and prosperity of the rural areas.

He has won various awards and accolades for his contribution to the field of journalism. 

Badari Purohit Koppala

After having worked as a satirist and cartoonist for more than 15 years, Badari Purohit Koppala has become a prominent cartoonist in the state and is recognized for his satirical outtakes. In 2017, he won first place in the state-level satire competition organized by the ‘Nage Mugulu’ humour magazine.  He has won the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Award and the Karnataka Vyangyachitra Chitrakala Ratna Award.  Along with the Hoogaru Madhyama Award from the Bangalore Media Club, he has won various awards for his creative satirical takes.

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 New Delhi (PTI): Noted sculptor Ram Sutar, known for designing the world's tallest statue — Statue of Unity — in Gujarat, passed away late on Wednesday night at his Noida residence, his son said.

He was 100 and ailing with age-related illnesses.

"It is with profound grief that we inform you of the passing of my father Shri Ram Vanji Sutar on 17th December midnight at our residence," his son Anil Sutar said in a note shared with the press on Thursday.

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Born in a humble family in Gondur village under the Dhule district of present-day Maharashtra on February 19, 1925, Sutar is known to have been drawn to sculpting from his childhood.

A gold medallist from JJ School of Art and Architecture, Mumbai, Sutar, has to his credit a long list of achievements.

The iconic statues of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditating pose and of Chhatrapati Shivaji riding a horse on the Parliament premises rank among his finest creations.

The Statue of Unity honours Sardar Patel, country's first deputy prime minister and home minister.

Sutar was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016.

Recently, Sutar was conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan Puraskar, the state's highest award.